I am getting ready to buy a 1977 Toyota Truck.

[tekisui]

The engine is solid, it starts and runs great, 173,000 miles. Really the only problems with it are with the exterior. It needs a passenger side door window and a new heater control panel on the dash.

Would buying this for $500 be a good move. It will be a to and from work vehicle, and at that price I can afford to put money into any problems. I guess my main question is, how hard is it to find body/window/dash parts for a truck this old?

[bhikkhu]

1. There is a list of things you should have checked out

I am fond of the old Datsun and Toyota trucks and wish someone still made something comparable, but 30 years can take a toll on some things that are difficult/expensive to replace.

I'd start with the rear differential. Ring and pinion wear, rear axle bearing wear, seal leaks, etc; at its age it is very easy for lack of maintenance to wind up with a differential needing a complete rebuild ($1200 or so) or replacement. The problems that can arise are seldom noticeable on a test drive.

Transmission problems, on the other hand, are usually pretty noticeable. If its a manual you are lucky, as they usually last about forever. Make sure if its an automatic that it shifts through all the gears smoothly and doesn't have any unusual noises. Often if a vehicle has sat for some time it's internals (bearings and gears) will develop rust spots that will take a few miles of driving to manifest as problems.

Brakes are another thing to look at. Have the rotors and drums measured and the linings looked at, and verify that nothing is frozen up or leaking. If it has any original rubber, keep in mind that it wasn't designed to last 30 years. It wouldn't be unusual for the whole thing to need replaced: hydraulics, linings, drums and rotors, for $700 or so.

Suspension parts are also very likely to be worn and aged badly. One thing the truck didn't have was a very stout or easily worked on suspension, at least compared to modern trucks. And, as with the brake stuff, rubber bushings weren't really made to last that long. You'd have to jack it up to check most things, It's also a good idea, given the age, to check that it hasn't had parts or frame ever bent in a collision. An alignment shop could check the wheel alignment, verify parts soundness, and check for collision damage at the same time.

Thats about all that comes to mind...I hope it works out, and good luck!

[tekisui]

2. Thanks for the response.

I did look at the frame and saw no signs of an accident of damaging rust. The transmission is automatic, but shifted smoothly through each gear. The brakes felt very good, but we didn't look closely.

We may just take a chance on the rear differential. We won't be hauling anything and we won't even leave the county.

We have looked at several vehicles, and people are asking $2000+ for cars that didn't run as good as this truck, so we are probably going to get it and look for 6 months to a year, at least. And, of course hope for several more years.

Thanks again for your tips. Is the rear differential something I could get maintenance done on now to prevent further problems?

[bhikkhu]

3. Simplest maintenance - change the fluids

You never really know if anyone else has...

For the differential that's the only maintenance you can do, and fresh oil will lubricate seals and reduce friction and wear. Changing the brake fluid is a good idea too, as it tends to absorb moisture over time which can cause rust inside the hydraulic parts, and then many other problems.

I'd probably buy it too, as long as it doesn't have to be an every morning reliable turn the key and go deal. I went without a car for some time myself, and then bought an older Volvo for the price of towing it to the shop. It was supposed to just need timing gears but ended up needing just about everything (engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, etc) either rebuilt or replaced. At least to make it a reliable daily driver it needed all those things. One of the first things I did was locate six of the model at a u-pull-it wrecking yard and made a pretty thorough survey of what good parts they had on them. The driver's window, for instance, had a weak point in the mechanism which broke on mine. Only one of the vehicles at the wrecker's had a good window, but that was enough.

Anyway, good luck again!